Selecting Databases Introduction
Selecting Databases
Librarians can recommend databases to search for your evidence synthesis; the databases you choose will depend on your research question and the disciplines in which relevant research may be conducted. Below is some guidance for choosing scholarly databases in a number of research areas. Check Cornell University Library's database catalog for a full list of available sources across all disciplines.
Every database works differently. Librarians can help with designing complex searches using the specialized syntax of individual databases and 'translate' searches between databases. See the Write a Search Strategy tab or Translate Search Strategies tab for more information, and consult with a librarian if you have any questions.
Note that these databases largely focus on the published, peer-reviewed literature. For guidance and resources for searching other types of information (i.e., gray literature), see the Select Grey Literature Sources tab in this guide.
Databases for Scholarly Literature
- Web of Science (Cornell patrons--requires log in)Web of Science is an integrated platform of multidisciplinary databases of bibliographic information, including Science, Social Sciences and Arts and Humanities Citation Indexes. It is also a citation database that allows cited reference searching to determine works that have cited a particular article or author.
- Scopus (Cornell patrons--requires log in)Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature, including research from the science, technology, medicine, social sciences and arts and humanities fields.
- MEDLINE via PubMedMEDLINE is one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date bibliographic databases of life sciences and biomedical information. It is compiled by the US National Library of Medicine. It is searchable via PubMed, which includes MEDLINE as well as additional literature, non-indexed literature in biomedicine.
- TRIP DatabaseTRIP Database is clinical research evidence library with a PICO search option.
- CINAHL (Cornell patrons--requires log in)CINAHL is a premier database for the literature in nursing and allied health. It provides some unique methodological indexing terms for qualitative research not found in MEDLINE.
- CABI: CAB Abstracts and Global Health (Cornell patrons--requires log in)Searchable through the ISI Web of Science platform, CABI covers the significant research and development literature in the fields of nutrition, agriculture, forestry, aspects of human health, animal health, and the management and conservation of natural resources.
- World Health Organization Covid-19 Global literature on coronavirus diseaseThe global literature cited in the WHO COVID-19 database is updated daily (Monday through Friday) from searches of bibliographic databases, hand searching, and the addition of other expert-referred scientific articles. This database represents a comprehensive multilingual source of current literature on the topic. While it may not be exhaustive, new research is added regularly.
- EpistemonikosEpistemonikos is an evidence library for those making decisions in health care and health policy.
- PAIS International (Cornell patrons--requires log in)The PAIS Index is an international database from CSA that contains citations to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more. Subjects include administration of justice, business, economics, government, human rights, labor conditions and policy, and social conditions.
- 3iE (International Initiative for Impact Evaluations) Database3iE is an international evidence hub for policymakers and researchers looking for evidence on what works, what doesn’t, and why in agriculture, fishing, forestry, education, energy and extractives.
- Health Systems Evidence (Under Renovations)Health Systems Evidence is a "free access point for evidence to support policy makers, stakeholders and researchers interested in how to strengthen or reform health systems."
- EVIPNetEVIPNet is a WHO resource that "promotes the systematic use of health research evidence in policy-making" with a focus on low and middle-income countries.
- PDQ-Evidence (Last Updated July 2022)PDQ(“pretty darn quick”)-Evidence facilitates rapid access to the best available evidence for decisions about health systems. Their archive is backed up and searchable in Epistemonikos, and will be taken offline after December 2024 due to funding discontinuation.
- CAB Abstracts (Cornell patrons--requires log in)Searchable through the ISI Web of Science platform, CABI covers the significant research and development literature in the fields of nutrition, agriculture, forestry, aspects of human health, animal health, and the management and conservation of natural resources.
- AGRICOLA (Cornell patrons--requires log in)AGRICOLA covers agriculture, agricultural products, animal science, aquatic science, fisheries, feed science, food science, human nutrition and rural sociology. On January 1, 2007, Agricola began indexing a significantly smaller number of journals than in the past.
- BIOSIS Previews (Cornell patrons--requires log in)Issued as part of the ISI Web of Science, BIOSIS Previews covers original research reports and reviews in biological and biomedical areas. Coverage includes traditional areas of biology such as botany, zoology, and microbiology, as well as related fields such as biomedical, agriculture, pharmacology, and ecology.
- Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA) (Cornell patrons--requires log in)Searchable through the ISI Web of Science platform, FSTA provides access to abstracts of the world’s food science, food technology, and food-related human nutrition literature. Coverage is 1969 to date and includes journals, patents, books, conference proceedings, reports, theses, standards and legislation.
- Environment Index (Cornell patrons--requires log in)The Environment Index provides researchers with abstracts and indexing in areas of agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, environmental law, geography, marine and freshwater resources, public policy, social impacts, urban planning, and more.
- PsycINFO (Cornell patrons--requires log in)PsycINFO contains citations and summaries of the international literature in psychology and related behavioral and social sciences, including psychiatry, sociology, anthropology, education, pharmacology, and linguistics.
- GenderWatch (Cornell patrons--requires log in)GenderWatch is a full text database of publications that focuses on the impact of gender across a broad spectrum of subject areas. The database provides in-depth coverage of the subjects that are uniquely central to women's lives, including family, childbirth, birth control, daycare, domestic abuse, work and the workplace, sexual harassment, aging, aging parents, body image, eating disorders, and social and societal roles.
- AgeLine (Cornell patrons--requires log in)AgeLine focuses exclusively on the population aged 50+ and issues of aging. AgeLine is the premier source for the literature of social gerontology and includes aging-related content from the health sciences, psychology, sociology, social work, economics, and public policy.
- ERIC (Cornell patrons--requires log in)ERIC is a digital library of free education-related sources of interest to educators, researchers, and the general public.
- Sociology Source Ultimate (Cornell patrons--requires log in)Sociology Source Ultimate offers comprehensive coverage of sociology, encompassing all sub-disciplines and closely related areas of study. These include abortion, criminology & criminal justice, demography, ethnic & racial studies, gender studies, marriage & family, political sociology, religion, rural & urban sociology, social development, social psychology, social structure, social work, socio-cultural anthropology, sociological history, sociological research, sociological theory, substance abuse & other addictions, violence, and many others.
- Sociological Abstracts (Cornell patrons--requires log in)Sociological Abstracts provides abstracts and indexes from the international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences.
- EconLit (Cornell patrons--requires log in)EconLit covers economic theory and history, fiscal theory, econometrics, agricultural economics, public finance, demography, monetary theory, international economics and other related topics.
- ABI/Inform (Cornell patrons--requires log in)ABI/Inform is an extensive international business and management database, containing bibliographic citations, abstracts, and full text of articles.
- Business Source Complete (Cornell patrons--requires log in)Provides full text for scholarly business journals and a variety of other sources. Coverage includes virtually all subject areas related to business. Coverage dates as far back as 1922.
- PAIS Index (Cornell patrons--requires log in)The PAIS Index is an international database from CSA that contains citations to journal articles, books, government documents, statistical directories, grey literature, research reports, conference reports, publications of international agencies, microfiche, Internet material, and more. Subjects include administration of justice, business, economics, government, human rights, labor conditions and policy, and social conditions.
- Health Sciences Spanish Bibliographic Index (IBECS)IBECS is a database produced by the National Health Sciences Library of Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) of Spain's Ministry of Health, Social Policy, and Equality.
- LILACSLILACS is the most important and comprehensive index of scientific and technical literature of Latin America and the Caribbean.
- SciELO Citation IndexSciELO is a bibliographic database and digital library of open access journals with a focus on literature published in developing countries, primarily in South America. (Cornell users--SciELO is also searchable through the ISI Web of Science platform.)
- Virtual Health LibraryVirtual Health Library provide access to academic journals, books, theses, conference papers, and government documents published in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Native Health Database"The Native Health Database contains bibliographic information and abstracts of health-related articles, reports, surveys, and other resource documents pertaining to the health and health care of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Canadian First Nations. The database provides information for the benefit, use, and education of organizations and individuals with an interest in health-related issues, programs, and initiatives regarding North American indigenous peoples."
- African Index Medicus (AIM)The WHO, in collaboration with the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa (AHILA), produces the African Index Medicus, an international index to African health literature and information sources.
- Western Pacific Region Index Medicus (WPRO)WPRO is a medical and health journals index. Project of the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office in collaboration with several institutions in its Member States.
- China Academic Journals (CNKI)CNKI is a citation database of Chinese journals published in China. The journals are categorized under ten series, which include topics in medicine & public health (check Series E to search these topics).
- Scholarly Academic Information Navigator (CiNii)CiNii is a database with a Japan focus that can be used to search information on academic articles published in academic society journals, university research bulletins, or articles included in the National Diet Library's Japanese Periodicals Index Database and databases.
- Index Medicus for the South-East Asian Region (IMSEAR)IMSEAR is a database of articles published in journals within the WHO South-East Asia Region. It is a collaborative effort of participating libraries in the Health Literature, Library and Information Services (HELLIS) network.
- Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (IMEMR)IMEMR is a database of health literature produced in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. One of the major projects of the WHO's Virtual Health Sciences Library, initiated in response to a need to index health and biomedical journals from the region.